Monday, October 17, 2016

There was a TV network who had a slogan that if you hadn’t seen
one of their shows, it was new to you. The same can be said of old movies
which, even if you’ve seen them in the past, continue to bring a sense of fun
and enjoyment every time they’re watched. It’s why so many of them are called
“classics” and why they can be watched over and over again. But one of the
disadvantages of old movies is that their quality suffers in comparison to a
“modern” film. That makes watching them less enjoyable. But while it is true
that the movie studios have remastered and enhanced the quality of many of the
old movies, the overall quality can still use some help. And that help is right
there at your fingertips. Here’s how:

Setting Up the Room

Movies look better when the room is dark — that’s why you often
bump into armrests on chairs when trying to return to your seat after buying
that tub of popcorn. But even movie theaters aren’t totally in the dark so
having a bit of light is OK. But try experimenting with turning off the
overhead lights or moving the position of a table lamp or closing the drapes to
see just how differently the images on the display will now look. Then make a
note of what looks best so you can repeat it when it is time to watch.

Adjusting Your Flat Panel Television

Today’s televisions are marvels of technology — and
don’t get us started on how impressive a big screen TV looks seated in your living room or
bedroom. Unlike the tube-models of the past, a flat-panel TV has a number of controls that are
specifically designed to alter/enhance the picture that is being displayed. You
can go into the menu and “turn on” such things as “noise reduction” or “edge
enhancement” among others. Even the color temperature is under your control
(and counter-intuitively can make a big difference when watching a black and
white movie). Of course the overall brightness and contrast of what is being
watched can be altered too, but in most cases a modern television will handle
that on its own. It will even give you movie “presets” that are pre-configured
for changing how the overall image will look. And of course having a 4K television with dynamic range (HDR) means an
even higher resolution for watching.

Update Your DVD/Blu-ray
Player to 4K

DVDs have been around for quite a long time now, with Blu-ray
discs having taken over because of their higher resolution and better color
renditions. But to get the best results from that spinning disc you need the
latest technologies built into the disc player: for DVDs that means a new DVD player and for Blu-ray discs that means a
new Blu-ray player. And since 4K movies will eventually
take the top-of-the-mountain position, a 4K Blu-ray player should be sitting in front of
that TV or to the side of it. Streaming is all very well and good, but a lot of
the older movies just can not be found online. Besides, why not use that great
library of discs that you’ve been collecting all these years?

Nothing beats the comfort and convenience of watching old movies at home. Now
that modern technology has given us the best TVs and video players to watch them on; it’s
time to sit back and enjoy.